The Wandering Samurai

Last December 2012, The Live Action Film adaptation of the manga and anime of Rurouni Kensin, or more popularly known as Samurai X, was released in the Philippines in SM Cinemas. As a fan, I was filled with excitement knowing that one of my favorites will have its live action adaptation and will be released in the Philippines. I used to watch the anime when I was a kid, and when I got into highschool, I started to read the manga though I still haven't finished the 28 volumes manga.

Wanderer that is what the word "Rurouni" means. Rurouni Kenshin, takes place in the Meiji era and is about a wandering samurai who participated in the Bakumatsu war as an assassin, named Kenshin Himura. During the Bakumatsu war, he was known as Hitokiri Battōsai. Hitokiri meaning man slayer. After the war, he wanders the countryside of Japan offering protection and aid to those in need to atone for the murders he committed during his time as an assassin. He then arrives at Tokyo and meets Kamiya Kaoru, instructor at the Kamiya Kasshin Ryu dojo, who's fighting against a person who claims to be Battōsai and is tarnishing the name of the dojo her father left her. He helps her with her problems and Kaoru in return lets Kenshin stay at her place.  He accepts the offer and starts to establish a life long relationship with Sanosuke Sagara(a brawler,former member of the Sekiho army), Yahiko Myojin(an orphan from a samurai family) and a beautiful doctor named Takani Megumi. As time passed by, he encounters some enemies, old and new. 

Here is the movie's plot. Hitokiri Battōsai participates in the Battle of Toba-Fushimi and leaves the battlefield as the Imperialist forces celebrates their victory. After a decade, he arrives in Tokyo and meets the owner of a Kendo school left to her by her father. Kaoru's only student was a young boy named Yahiko Myojin. Later, the dojo was attacked by a group of thugs who are under the employment of the rich, opium smuggler Takeda Kenryu. He arrives and defeats the thugs. Police arrives and he was brought to jail for illegal possession of a katana. Before he was taken to jail, Kaoru asks for his name and he tells her that his name is Kenshin Himura. He was seen in jail by Sanosuke Sagara, who was also in jail. Kenshin was freed after his meeting with an acquaintance, a person who was also in the war. Upon Kenshin's return, Yahiko helps a drenched in rain Takani Megumi. Megumi starts staying with them, not knowing that she is on the run from Takeda Kenryu. She told Kenshin her story when there was a case of poisoning in the area, the victims were brought in Kaoru's dojo and Megumi helps cure the victims. Megumi leaves after the poisoning incident and went back to Takeda's mansion to kill but fails in her attempt. She was then held as hostage. Kenshin and Sanosuke attacks Takeda's mansion, who has armed himself with a gatling gun. After the battle, Megumi was saved but tells Kenshin that Kaoru's in danger. Kenshin then found out that Jin-e Udo, a hitokiri like him who was also at the Battle of Toba-Fushimi has kidnapped Kaoru. The battle between them ends, when Kenshin broke Jin-e's elbow and Jin-e committed suicide(seppuku?). The film ends when Kaoru woke up and starts searching for Kenshin in fear that he might have left and finds him walking back inside the dojo bringing vegetables. She then says to Kenshin, "Welcome back, Kenshin".

Characters: (Live Action vs. Anime/Manga)

Kenshin Himura (LA)

Kenshin Himura(Anime)

Kaoru Kamiya (LA)

Kaoru Kamiya (Anime)

Megumi Takani (LA)

Megumi Takani (Anime)

Sanosuke Sagara(LA)

Sanosuke Sagara(Anime)

Yahiko Myojin (LA)

Yahiko Myojin(Anime)

Kanreyu Takeda (LA)

Kanreyu Takeda (Anime)

Jin-e Udo (LA)

Jin-e Udo (Anime)

There are difference in the movie and the manga. Firstly, in the movie, Yahiko Myojin,, Sanosuke Sagara and Takani Megumi are all directly introduced, where in the manga, Kenshin saves Yahiko, Sanosuke battles Kenshin first and then much,much later helps Megumi. Also the movie only covered 2 arcs in the story. The arc where Kenshin battles Udo and the arc with Takeda. This 2 arcs happened at differect time frames in the manga, but occured simultaneously in the film.

What's cool in this film is that, it's a good adaptation of the manga although there are small differences. The movie made the stunts and the jutsus in the manga much more life-like. It is rather fun seeing them fight using swordskills that are closer to reality. Also the both the film and the manga depicts, certain parts of Japan's history. The Bakumatsu war and the Battle of Toba-Fushimi are both events in Japanese history that talks about the fall of the Tokugawa shogunate, the end of the Edo period and the coming of the "new era", the Meiji period. Also Kenshin Himura is based on one of the Four Hitokiris of the Bakumatsu, Kawakami Gensai.

CAST:

Takeru Sato as Kenshin Himura

Koji Kikkawa as Jin-e Udo

Emi Takei as Kaoru Kamiya

Yu Aoi as Megumi Takani

Munetaka Aoki as Sanosuke Sagara

Teruyuki Kagawa as Kanreyu Takeda

So there, although its a bit late to talk about this movie since it was shown last year, I still enjoyed sharing these things to you, since I'm a fan of this manga and I'm an otaku myself. :)